Jayson Tatum

The 2022-23 NBA season will reportedly kick off with a showdown between two title contenders in the Eastern Conference.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Jayson Tatum's Boston Celtics and Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers will be part of an opening night doubleheader on TNT on Oct. 18.

The second game will be a previously reported clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

This is another piece of the puzzle as the 2022-23 schedule begins to come into view.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported the full schedule will be released Wednesday, and Charaniaoe previously provided a look at an intriguing slate of games that will take center stage on Christmas Day:

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

Bucks at Celtics
76ers at Knicks
Suns at Nuggets
Lakers at Mavericks
Grizzlies at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

That the Celtics and 76ers will be nationally featured on opening night and Christmas Day was no surprise.

Boston was in the NBA Finals last season and features one of the best one-two punches in the league in Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Philadelphia hasn't made it past the second round of the playoffs since the 2000-01 campaign, but it has its own talented pair in Embiid and James Harden who could change that this season.

Throw in the rivalry between these Atlantic Division teams that always serves as the backdrop when they square off, and there is plenty to look forward to with the reported first clash.

Boston and Philadelphia fittingly split their four matchups last season, and whichever team comes out on top in the 2022-23 campaign could have the inside track for a higher seed and home-court advantage in what figures to be a tightly contested Eastern Conference race.

Fans won't have to wait long for the next chapter of the rivalry.

The Brooklyn Nets are going to drive a hard bargain when it comes to a potential trade for Kevin Durant.

They even reportedly asked the Boston Celtics for their two best players in early talks, according to a report from Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe:

"Brooklyn initially tried to pry both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown from Boston. That proposal went nowhere, of course. The source confirmed recent reports that Brooklyn later shifted its focus to a potential deal centered on Brown, Marcus Smart and a massive haul of future first-round draft picks. But the Celtics were not interested."

On Monday, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that the Nets have "set a sky-high threshold for the return the franchise wants for Durant" and that Brooklyn governor Joe Tsai and the team "have made clear privately that they will take every last asset from a team that trades for Durant, sources said."

Within that context, asking for both Tatum and Brown in initial trade talks doesn't come as a huge surprise, even if the Nets surely knew it would be a nonstarter for Boston.

Shams' report came after Durant met with Tsai and reportedly reiterated his desire to be traded. He additionally requested that he either be dealt or that the team fire head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks, reportedly telling Tasi he "does not have faith in the team's direction."

It didn't take long for Tsai to make his choice:

Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.

— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) August 8, 2022

The Nets remain in limbo, with the futures of both Durant and Kyrie Irving—who is heading into the final year of his contract after exercising his $36.5 million player option—in question.

The Celtics have emerged as a potential contender in trade talks involving Durant, largely because they could build an offer around a young talent like Brown. The question is whether it would make sense to break apart the young duo of Tatum (24) and Brown (25) after a trip to the NBA Finals this season and the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2019-20 campaign, all for the 33-year-old Durant.

Brown didn't put his best foot forward in the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, averaging 23.5 points per game in the series but turning the ball over 10 times between Games 5 and 6. His handle looked suspect against the Dubs.

Durant unquestionably would be an immediate upgrade. But Brown is just entering his prime years and has already proved he can help lead the C's deep into the playoffs. Boston may not be willing to give up on his potential just yet.

Certainly, the Celtics were never going to entertain trading both Tatum and Brown.

Jayson Tatum has heard the rumors that President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has been cooking up trade offers for Kevin Durant.

The Boston Celtics star is staying out of it.

"The cool part about his job is Brad don't tell me how to do my job anymore. You not the coach," Tatum told Jared Weiss of The Athletic. "He lets me do my thing. I let him do his thing. In all honesty, that's his decision and that's his job."

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Celtics offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Durant, who requested a trade in June. The Nets countered by asking for Brown, Marcus Smart and multiple future draft picks, an offer Boston declined.

Durant trade negotiations have moved at a glacial pace, as Brooklyn seeks to reap a historic trade haul for the 12-time All-Star. It's unclear if the Celtics—or any team, for that matter—remain active in talks with the Nets. Mum has been the word as the status quo moves forward during what is typically a quiet period in the NBA.

Stevens is heading into his second season running the Celtics' basketball operations. His first year was an unequivocal success, with Boston making its first Finals run in more than a decade and first-year coach Ime Udoka appearing to be the real deal.

The Celtics have already been active this offseason in improving the roster, trading for Malcolm Brogdon and signing Danilo Gallinari. It's arguable they're already the favorites to repeat as Eastern Conference champions.

That said, if Stevens learned anything from predecessor Danny Ainge, it's to never stay stagnant and assume the same results will follow. Exploring a trade for Durant—even if it means giving up Brown—is smart business. They're two players on completely different stratospheres; Durant raises the ceiling on title contention.

If Stevens is unable to pull off a Durant deal, however, it's fair to wonder how the rumors will impact Brown's relationship with the franchise. The 25-year-old has already seen his name bandied about in talks for Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and now Durant. At some point, there's likely going to be a period where Brown gets tired of the rumors and wants to take his future into his own hands.

Suffice it to say the rest of this summer will involve navigating those precarious waters.

The Boston Celtics were two wins away from earning their first NBA championship since 2008, but trade rumors still persisted this offseason with Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic notably reporting that the C's offered a package centered around Jaylen Brown to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant.

Trade rumors seemingly follow most big-name players at some point or another, and Celtics star Jayson Tatum is no exception.

Justin Quinn of Celtics Wire sat down with C's star Jayson Tatum to discuss a number of topics, including trade rumors in general.

"How do you feel if you ever see your name in a trade rumor?" Quinn asked. "Is that something you think of as a compliment? Does it ever get annoying? How do you deal with that?"

Tatum responded as follows:

"That’s the world we live in, right? It always comes from an anonymous source. But it always makes ESPN or Twitter or whatever, and everybody sees it. So you never know what is true and what’s not true, but it gets people to talk about it, and I guess that’s the idea. They got what they wanted out of the deal, for people to talk about it and make speculations. If you pay attention to everything you see on Twitter or TV, you drive yourself crazy. I think that’s just something that you have to learn just to keep your own sanity and your own peace.

"They will literally say anything, and some of it might be true, and there are other things that just couldn’t be further from the truth. But, the average fan at home doesn’t know the difference, and they just might believe whatever they see. And it doesn’t help that people on the sports talk shows are talking about it every day and we don’t know who said it, so just control what you can control. That’s what I always live by."

It was an enlightening response on trade rumors from a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player's perspective.

It's something he's used to. A quick look at HoopsHype shows a litany of rumors and trade talk Tatum has been involved in during past years.

Ultimately, those are things Tatum personally shouldn't have to worry about anytime soon after leading the C's to the Eastern Conference title. He's also currently signed through 2025, with a player option for 2025-26.

His co-star in Brown may have found himself in KD talks, although nothing ever materialized. However, longtime Boston and ESPN NBA columnist Jackie MacMullan said on NBC Sports Boston's Early Edition (h/t Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston) that the team isn't "actively trying to trade Jaylen Brown."

"The Celtics aren't actively trying to trade Jaylen Brown. One of the generational players, Kevin Durant, is available. You'd be a fool not to investigate it. [President of basketball operations] Brad Stevens isn't doing his job if he doesn't investigate it."

For now, Tatum and Brown are leading a Celtics team with championship prospects in 2022-23 with training camp one month away and the regular season starting on Oct. 19.

Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum said he's well down the road to recovery from the shoulder injury he dealt with during the latter stages of the 2022 NBA playoffs.

Tatum, who suffered the injury during the Eastern Conference Finals and played through it in the team's loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, provided an update Thursday to Justin Quinn of CelticsWire on the Celtics Lab podcast.

"Yeah, it feels a lot better," Tatum said. "It got a lot of time to rest that it needed. So, it definitely felt a lot better."

The injury didn't appear to hurt Tatum's shooting stroke as he knocked down 20 of his 44 three-point attempts (45.5 percent) in the Finals, but it was a bigger issue while dealing with contact as he made just 24 of his 76 two-point shots (31.6 percent) against the Warriors.

After the Celtics' season-ending loss in Game 6, the three-time All-Star said he planned to recover through standard rest and recovery.

"No, I don't think [I'll need surgery]," Tatum told reporters.

Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Duke product told Quinn his main focus throughout the summer is making sure his body is prepared for another campaign after a short offseason following the team's deep playoff run.

"Always first and foremost taking care of my body, in the weight room working on my legs and making sure my core [is good]," Tatum said. "Changing my diet, trying to eat better. The basketball stuff is easier to figure out; I've been doing it so long. I think your body is what keeps you up here."

The All-NBA first-team selection averaged 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.0 threes across 76 appearances during the 2021-22 regular season. He finished sixth in MVP voting.

Despite the Celtics' success, there have been rumors about a potential blockbuster trade that could bring Kevin Durant to Boston, which could see the departure of longtime teammate Jaylen Brown.

Tatum explained to Quinn the best thing to do is avoid all the speculation when possible, saying it's important to "learn just to keep your own sanity and your own peace."

"That's the world we live in, right? It always comes from an anonymous source. But it always makes ESPN or Twitter or whatever, and everybody sees it," he said. "So you never know what is true and what's not true, but it gets people to talk about it, and I guess that's the idea."

So far there's been no indication a Durant deal is actually close, so there's a strong chance the Celtics run it back with mostly the same core next season.

And it sounds like Tatum will be all systems go when the campaign tips off in October.

The combination of Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart is more valuable than Jayson Tatum, according to one NBA general manager.

The GM spoke to Ric Bucher of Fox Sports and said he would rather trade Tatum than move Brown and Smart in a deal for Kevin Durant:

"KD and Tatum are talented, but I don't know how tough they are. I know he's a lot younger than KD, but if you're just trying to win one title, do you trade Tatum for Durant? I'd do that before I'd give them Jaylen and Smart. Brown is valued a little less than Tatum because he's not the skill darling. He's a high level athlete who has developed into a good player. But I have to think Brooklyn would prefer Tatum and you wouldn't have to give up Smart."

Well, that is certainly one way of looking at things. An opinion very much in the minority of anyone whom you'd ask about the situation but one that represents at least one of the 30 people tasked with running an NBA organization.

The Celtics reportedly engaged the Brooklyn Nets in trade talks for Durant, offering a package that includes Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Brooklyn countered by asking for Brown, Marcus Smart, future picks and possibly an additional role player, an offer the Celtics declined.

It's far from the first time Brown's name has been mentioned in trade talks—he's been bandied about as potential bait for Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and now Durant. The Leonard and Davis trade talks ultimately went nowhere, and it's possible the Durant ones do as well. That said, it's clear the constant speculation has been weighing on Brown.

As far as Tatum goes, there's no real need to even address any rumors he might be included in Durant trade talks. He's staying right where he is. Tatum is a 24-year-old who just made first team All-NBA; Durant was on the second team. While Durant is still better than Tatum, he's 33 years old and has played just 90 games over the last three seasons. There's no world in which trading Tatum for Durant makes sense, nor does it have a remote chance of happening.

Jayson Tatum didn't seem like someone anxious to break up the Boston Celtics after they reached the NBA Finals last season.

Nick Friedell of ESPN reported Tuesday that Tatum didn't want to talk about trade speculation while in New York City for a documentary premiere, but he did say "I love our team."

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Monday the Celtics offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant but were "less inclined" to include Marcus Smart.

It appeared as if Brown wasn't the biggest fan of being included in potential trade packages:

Smh

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) July 25, 2022

Boston made the NBA Finals in large part because of Brown's two-way impact. He is just 25 years old with the abilities to stretch the floor from deep, attack off the bounce and defend an opponent's best player, and it's not every day a player of his caliber and age is possibly available in a trade.

It's also not every day a team that just reached the Finals could add a generational talent such as Durant.

Pairing Durant with Tatum could be what maximizes Boston's wide-open championship window. The future Hall of Famer is an all-time player with a resume that includes two titles, two NBA Finals MVPs, the 2013-14 MVP award, four scoring titles, 10 All-NBA selections and 12 All-Star nods.

The Celtics also run the risk of upsetting team chemistry by trying to land Durant, whether they acquire him or not.

Tatum surely isn't going to say anything that could make that possibility worse, especially before a potential trade is finalized. And it isn't a stretch to suggest the Celtics could win the championship if Tatum, Brown, Smart, Robert Williams III and the newly acquired Malcolm Brogdon are leading the way.

Still, this may be the rare opportunity to get a worthwhile return for a player of Brown's caliber.

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported Tuesday that "this seems to be the first moment the Celtics have truly explored the possibility of moving Brown" since they backed away from doing so in previous potential deals for Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis.

"There aren't many players Boston would swap Brown for, but the Celtics franchise has coveted Durant since before his 2006-07 draft year, when they fumbled games in an attempt to land him or Greg Oden that June," Fischer wrote.

Maybe the Celtics will land Durant, but Tatum seems like he would be fine with it if they don't.

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens wants Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum to get away for a bit following Boston's loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals.

According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Stevens was asked Tuesday what advice he had for Tatum after the Finals, and he responded by saying he told Tatum to "go on vacation."

Stevens reportedly added that while Tatum would have liked for things to go differently in the Finals, he had an incredible season and is continuing to grow and learn.

The 24-year-old Tatum's fifth NBA season saw him named an All-Star for the third consecutive year and average career highs across the board with 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.0 three-pointers made. He also shot 45.3 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from long range.

Tatum was nearly as good during the playoffs with averages of 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 3.2 trifectas made. He was also named the inaugural Eastern Conference Finals MVP by virtue of leading Boston past the Miami Heat in seven games.

The former Duke standout did have some major ups and downs during the Finals, though, as did most of the Celtics players.

He scored 23 or more points in four of six Finals games and finished with averages of 21.5 points, 7.0 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 3.3 three-pointers made, but he shot just 36.7 percent from the field.

That included shooting just 6-of-18 from the floor for 13 points in the series-ending Game 6, which was in stark contrast to the 34 points put up by NBA Finals MVP and Warriors star Stephen Curry.

Ultimately, Tatum and the Celtics ran into a generational team that would not be denied its fourth championship in eight years

The Celtics have a chance to contend for many years to come with a core led by Tatum and Jaylen Brown, so the odds seem good that they will get another crack at championship glory in the near future.

Jayson Tatum looked nothing like the regular-season version of himself during his first NBA Finals appearance.

However you want to analyze it, he was one of the five to 10 best players in the league prior to his meltdown against the Golden State Warriors.

He made the All-NBA First Team and finished seventh in scoring. The Boston Celtics were plus-12.1 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor (the best net rating in the NBA). Advanced statistics from all over the internet adored him.

In the first three rounds of the 2022 postseason—when the Celtics swept the Brooklyn Nets, overcame Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, and beat the top-seeded Miami Heat as he averaged 27.0 points, 5.9 assists and 3.2 threes—he looked like that player.

Then, in the most important series of his life, Tatum seemingly forgot how to play inside the three-point line.

Among the 296 players in NBA history who attempted at least as many two-point shots in a Finals series, Tatum's 31.6 two-point percentage ranks 282nd. Each of the efforts below his on that list took place between 1947 and 1961.

With a chance to kick-start legacy conversations before his 25th birthday, Tatum instead found himself putting up pre-merger shooting numbers (at least from two-point range).

That wasn't his only issue. His 23 turnovers tie him for the 23rd-most recorded in a single Finals (and nine of the players ahead of him played in seven-gamers).

Only two players in league history matched or exceeded Tatum's totals for turnovers and missed shots (76) in a Finals (though his company there, LeBron James in 2015-16 and Kobe Bryant twice, might offer some hope).

In Game 6 alone, he looked overwhelmed.

Two series earlier, he'd scored 46 points in an elimination game against the Bucks. The next round, he had 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a Game 7 win over Miami.

But on Thursday, he went out with a whimper, scoring 13 points on 6-of-18 shooting, turning the ball over five times and looking scared to make a play in the second half.

Wow. Tatum passes up a wide open corner 3, drives, the crowd audibly yells "shoot it!" and he travels.

— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) June 17, 2022

Forget measuring up to Stephen Curry. Tatum probably wasn't even on Andrew Wiggins' level. When he was defended by the 2014 No. 1 pick, Tatum shot 37.5 percent, and the Celtics scored a paltry 83.5 points per 100 possessions.

After building for months toward what could've been a "Dwyane Wade in 2006" type of early arrival, Tatum fell flat against Golden State.

We'll save the armchair psychoanalysis of the 24-year-old for some other space, but it is worth exploring why this happened.

Tatum was great against the defense of Wesley Matthews, P.J. Tucker, Jrue Holiday, Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler in earlier rounds this postseason. But the determination he showed in those matchups disappeared in the Finals.

Instead of trying to finish through contact (like Stanley Sugarman taught Bo Cruz to do), Tatum seemed more intent on exaggerating it. On countless drives, once he broke the paint and saw a body (or still had Wiggins in front of him), he just sort of threw his arms up. After he missed, he often shot a look of bewilderment toward officials.

Tatum and finishing at the rim this series has been very underwhelming to say the least man.

— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) June 17, 2022

Fixing that will probably take an attitude adjustment. Tatum is big enough and has the athleticism to deploy a stronger brand of finishing, but occasionally dialing it back would help too.

“[The] majority is over-penetrating, playing in the crowd, as I talk about quite often. Just not keeping it simple,” Boston coach Ime Udoka said of his team's turnover issues earlier in the Finals. “You look at Game 1 where we had 33 assists on 43 baskets, crisp and sharp with our ball movements, not in the crowd."

That same analysis applies to Tatum. He has a mid-range game he should trust when matchups demand it. Sure, it's probably smart to focus on getting free throws, layups and threes, but three-level scoring is exponentially more important in the heat of the postseason.

A more careful approach would help with the turnover issues too. Tatum often dribbled into a crowd, seemingly panicked and lost the ball.

On certain plays, maintaining his dribble would've helped. On others, fundamentals like a good old-fashioned triple-threat position and some patience may have given teammates more time to provide him a release valve.

As he gains more experience with being a primary playmaker (as he was throughout the postseason), he'll learn how to better read those situations.

Right. As he matures, he'll get a better feel for when to make plays for others and when to really look for his own. And hopefully coach can concoct an offensive scheme that puts him in better spots, so he's not dribbling 10 to 12 times and grinding the O to a halt https://t.co/8hvVFdN2Qv

— I Always Keep A Can Of Tuna On Me (@SnottieDrippen) June 17, 2022

He already is getting better. Prior to these playoffs, Tatum's regular-season career high for assists per game was 4.4. This postseason, he averaged 6.2. In Boston's Game 1 win over the Warriors, he had 13 dimes.

He doesn't need to be a LeBron-type point forward, but if defenses know he's willing and capable of finding teammates, he'll be more difficult to guard.

Shooting 45.5 percent from three in the Finals (and 39.3 percent for the playoffs) is no small thing either. A few more mid-range looks wouldn't hurt, but they shouldn't come at the expense of good shots from beyond the arc. From a macro level, the moneyballing of Tatum's game over the last few years has been a plus.

Now, it's about fine-tuning.

Once you ascend to the level Tatum did in 2021-22, identifying the next areas for improvement can feel nitpicky. But that's exactly what needs to happen.

He's only 24 years old, and he made it to the Finals while tying for fourth in playoff value over replacement player. Luka Doncic and Ja Morant are the only players in the top 10 of that list who are younger.

This was not a good series from Tatum, but it's also not indicative of who he is. Or, more importantly, who he can become.